CNet is reporting that Apple is going to make the switch to Intel. The announcement is expected Monday June 6th at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, at which Chief Executive Steve Jobs is giving the keynote speech. CNet reports - "Apple has used IBM's PowerPC processors since 1994, but will begin a phased transition to Intel's chips, sources familiar with the situation said. Apple plans to move lower-end computers such as the Mac Mini to Intel chips in mid-2006 and higher-end models such as the Power Mac in mid-2007, sources said."

(Update) Apple officially announced today it will begin offering Macs with Intel processors by June 2006 and will switch its entire product line by the end of 2007. "Our goal is to provide our customers with the best personal computers in the world, and looking ahead Intel has the strongest processor roadmap by far," said Steve Job’s Apple’s CEO. "It's been ten years since our transition to the PowerPC, and we think Intel's technology will help us create the best personal computers for the next ten years." Apple also announced the next major upgrade to Mac OS X is code-named "Leopard" and will be released in late 2006 or early 2007.

I feel the same way! I wonder what this does to any mini updates between now and 2006? Could this switch to Intel have anything to do with the next generation gaming consoles? Maybe Apple is a afraid IBM won't be able to keep up production. There goes the Cell! _________________My Setup

OMG!!! I can see it now a TV commercial for the Mac Mini followed by the infamous Intel tune and the logo "Intel inside"! As a long time Mac user I find this a little difficult to accept! I don't feel so good!

I was thinking the same. Could something like AOpen's box be the next generation mini?

Yep. The Mac mini's port configuration could end up like the mini PC versions with the same motherboard and chipset. I'm sure the case will be styled different, god help us. The biggest question is… How is Intel going to protect OS X from being run on other Wintel machines? Are they going to have protection at the chip level or run some sort of emulation? Could this mean Apple is getting out of the hardware business in general and taking OS X to the PC. Monday should be fun! _________________14" 1.25GHz G4 iBook (died)
1.42GHz Mac mini (almost dead)
1.66GHz Core Duo Mac mini (sold)
2.0GHz Core 2 Duo Mac mini '09 (sold)
2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 Mac mini

What makes Apple so enticing to it's loyal followers is not the CPU. What constitutes Apple's strengths are Apple's top notch industrial designs, tightly integrated hardware, and of course the beauty, security, and stability of Mac OS X. As long as Apple maintains it's tight control of hardware integration, then none of these fundamental strengths will change regardless of the CPU inside. Just because a Mac has an Intel processor, does not mean it’s just another PC.

Yes, this change in direction will cause a bump in the road while software packages get recompiled for x86. However, think of the positives. Lower cost processors should translate to lower cost Macs. Finally, faster and cooler running PowerBooks with 64-bit processors. Also, affordable Dual-Core CPUs, PCI-Express Bus and Graphics, to name a few more.

I think the driving force behind this switch is the fact that Apple cannot deliver a G5 Powerbook, that runs cool with good battery life. How many of you here have noted that Laptops have recently started to outsell desktops. The Personal Computer market is moving toward affordable laptops So, if this "rumor" is true, then I think Apple is making a smart move to remain a player in the highly important laptop market._________________Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz, PowerMac G5 2.3 GHz, iMac Core Duo 17", MacBook Pro 2GHz, MacBook Pro 2.2GHz, Mac mini Core 2 Duo 1.83GHz. Multi-K9 Security System. No false alarms, just lots of sharp teeth.
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Last edited by bsnoel on Sat Jun 04, 2005 1:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

The biggest question is… How is Intel going to protect OS X from being run on other Wintel machines? Are they going to have protection at the chip level or run some sort of emulation? Could this mean Apple is getting out of the hardware business in general and taking OS X to the PC. Monday should be fun!

Good point. I would think this would be fairly easy to accomplish. Apple and Intel could easily add a hardware tag or "dongle" into the CPUs that Intel fabricates for Apple and / or add something into the ROM on Apple machines. If they did this, then they could just prevent OS X from booting if it does not find the correct set of circumstances._________________Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz, PowerMac G5 2.3 GHz, iMac Core Duo 17", MacBook Pro 2GHz, MacBook Pro 2.2GHz, Mac mini Core 2 Duo 1.83GHz. Multi-K9 Security System. No false alarms, just lots of sharp teeth.
www.grweather.com

I'm not too happy about this news. Sure Intel mobile chips will be good in iBooks and Powerbooks, but aren't they lagging behind AMD and IBM with everything else. Even the new Dual-Core AMD64 Processors are faster and cheaper than their Intel counterparts.

As long as it's not a Celeron! This is good news for a computer like the Mac mini but not so much for Apple's prosumer systems. Putting the megahertz myth to rest with other entry level systems is a big plus for the mini. How many entry level Dells have DVI, Firewire, and dedicated video?